The present invention generally relates to vending machines and, more particularly, is concerned with a merchandise hold down mechanism for a vending machine.
One general type of prior art vending machine, that has been manufactured and sold heretofore by the inventor herein, includes a merchandise storage and dispensing head, a housing supporting the head, and a coin-operated actuation mechanism mounted on and extending into the interior of the housing to where the actuation mechanism operably engages a dispensing wheel on the bottom of the head and rotates it to dispense items of product via a delivery chute to an external location on the housing in response to deposit of a coin by a user into the actuation mechanism and turning of a handle of the actuation mechanism by the user. The vending machine also has a coin box disposed in a base of the housing below the actuation mechanism and dispensing wheel for receiving the coin from the operation of the actuation mechanism that was deposited into the actuation mechanism by the user.
In one particular version of this prior art vending machine, the merchandise storage and dispensing head includes a rotary carousel with a merchandise holding magazine formed by a plurality of product stacking tubular receptacles or columns arranged in a circular row and mounted on a circular bottom plate of the carousel. Items of product are dispensed from the lowermost end of the stacks thereof in the columns through the bottom plate when the carousel is rotated so as to bring each of the columns successively into aligned over a dispensing opening in a stationary platform below the carousel which is mounted on the upper end of the housing. The dispensing wheel is located below the stationary platform but fixedly coupled to the bottom plate of the carousel and drivingly engaged by the actuation mechanism so as to rotate and carry with it the carousel in response to the user depositing a coin in the actuation mechanism and turning a handle thereon.
This particular vending machine has been subjected to abuse by vandals who attempt to steal items from the machine by inverting and shaking it so as to attempt to dislodge the items stacked in the columns. They try to scatter these items from their stacked and confined locations in the columns so that some might find their way through the dispensing opening in the stationary platform and through the dispensing wheel into the discharge chute without the depositing any coins in the actuation mechanism and turning the actuating handle of the mechanism. Most of these attempts to pilfer items from the machine in this manner end in failure but do oftentimes result either in damage to the machine or render the machine out of operative condition until serviced by the owner. This results in a loss of opportunity for the machine to earn revenue for its owner.
Consequently, a need exists for an innovation that will solve the aforementioned problem in the art without introducing any new problem in place thereof.